College Forum Volume 16, Number 4 : Page 1

MIAMI DADE COLLEGE COLLEGE AT The epicenTeR oF elecTion AcTiviTy ach and every election cycle, “Democracy’s College” is a must-stop site for everyone on the campaign trail. Students at Miami Dade College have many unique, wide-ranging opportunities to take part firsthand in the democratic process. They have been privileged to hear from our nation’s top leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama and presidential candidate Mitt Romney . More recently, they wit-nessed the Miami-Dade County mayoral debate held at MDC West between Mayor Carlos Giménez and Miami-Dade County Commission Chair Joe Martínez , both proud alumni of MDC. With the largest and most diverse student body of any institution of higher education in the United States, Miami Dade College represents the face of America, giving opinion mak-ers and world leaders a rare oppor-Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney tunity to take the pulse of the nation. MDC is also the epicenter of civic engagement, openly encouraging thought-provoking debate and urging citizens of all ages to vote. For more on the College’s mas-MDC alumni in sive Turbovote registration campaign and Making Democracy public service include Count rally, see Page 15. Miami-Dade County Commission Chair – BK Joe Martínez, left, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez. f orum e September 2012 • Volume 16 • Number 4 President Barack Obama A Winner Four Times Running MDC Makes Prestigious List of ‘Great Colleges to Work For’ roudly taking its place at the head of the class, Miami Dade College has been chosen for a fourth year in a row as one of The Chronicle of Higher Education ’s “Great Colleges to Work For.” In addition to this prestigious honor, MDC made The Chronicle ’s 2012 Honor Roll for its exceptional track record in more than four of the 12 categories surveyed. More than 46,000 administrators, faculty members and pro-fessional support staff from 294 institutions of higher education across the nation participated in this year’s survey, which is now in its fifth year. “The institutions that the Great Colleges program recognizes provide innovative educational experiences while also offering their employees outstanding workplace experiences,” said Liz McMillen, The Chronicle’s editor. MDC received high rankings in these six categories: Collab-orative Governance; Professional/Career Development Pro-p grams; Confidence in Senior Leadership; Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship; Respect and Appreciation; and Diversity. Making the Honor Roll is especially impressive in the current challenging economic climate. “When times are tough, the commitment to workplace quality really gets tested,” said Richard Boyer, principal of ModernThink LLC, which administered and analyzed the survey. “Those institu-tions that measure up during times of economic hardship rein-force their already strong cultures.” The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies from each institution and the employee survey. The pri-mary factor in deciding whether an institution received recogni-tion was the employee feedback. – BK